What a fantastic atmosphere at soccer fest on Saturday! Although we did not quite break the world record for head shaves in an hour, we did give it a run and had a blast. Salon on Kirby provided the shavers and 132 new friends provided the heads. The final shave of the day was a big one for Curing Children’s Cancer Fund. Alden from Salon on Kirby offered a $1,000 donation if a lady would shave, and Susan Leining said "let’s do it!". Others stepped up with additional donations, taking the total for one shave over the $1,500 mark! We are already working on next year—we will break the world record, just need a little more of your help (and heads…)

Earlier in the week, Dogwood in Midtown hosted the player shave portion of Bald is Beautiful sponsored by BMC Software. Quite a few of our men in orange emerged with new ‘dos, and the kids had a great time shaving the heads (Thanks to Salon on Kirby for the “minor” touch ups on the players after the kids did their part.). No Label Brewery donated Dancing Bear 12, a beer brewed especially for Will Bruin and the Bald is Beautiful event, with all proceeds going to Curing Children’s Cancer Fund. Partial proceeds from all sales during the celebrity pour from 4–7 benefitted Bald is Beautiful as well—and Will Bruin bartends better than he dances…

Last year Susan Leining was nominated as a Ching’s Champion, as were Gina and Mike Dockal (founders of Zoey’s Angels). Do you know someone in the community who gives back more than they receive? If so, please nominate them for this year’s edition of Ching’s Champions. Nominations are accepted online at HoustonDynamo.com/Charities/ChingsChampions through September 4th.

You can still ride with us on September 21st at the Tour de Cure Houston by signing up to join the Houston Dynamo team sponsored by Novo Nordisk, Camelot Realty Group, K-Pop Restaurants and Halliburton. We are also partnering with Bicycle World. Note that the date for ordering bike jerseys is past, so if you join now, we ask that you wear your favorite Dynamo gear for the ride. Please join the team next year and qualify to get the coolest bike jersey ever. To join the team or make a donation on behalf of the Dynamo team, click here

And we are getting closer to announcing details around Adam’s Toy Chest—stay tuned.

A special thank you to board members Leslie Atkinson and Sanford Steinberg for their work on Bald is Beautiful—much of what they did was behind the scenes, but everyone that participated in the events benefitted greatly from their efforts.

Score a couple of goals, make Team of the Week. That's the formula for Giles Barnes in Week 25, as MLSsoccer.com named him to their weekly best XI. Here's what they had to say about him:

"Clint Dempsey may be making the headlines, but Barnes stole the show as Houston topped visiting Seattle, 3-1. The English forward netted two well-struck goals, including a highlight-reel second goal."

That goal has the Dynamo forward up for Goal of the Week as well, which you can vote for here. Barnes is also up for Feature Subject of the Week (I made this award up) thanks to Tom Dart's story for The Guardian chronicling the Englishman's career (read here).

Will Bruin, Barnes' strike partner, garnered an honorable mention nod for notching a goal and an assist over the weekend.

The Houston Dynamo hold high hopes as they open their 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League campaign in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday evening with a Group 1 match against W Connection.

Tonight the Dynamo open their CONCACAF Champions League group stage at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It is the national stadium for Trinidad and Tobago and the sight of one of the most famous goals in American soccer history. In 1989, the United States national team was engulfed in the CONCACAF Championship, which was the final round of qualifying for the 1990 World Cup and the predecessor to today's "Hexagonal round" that the United States is currently leading ahead of next year's World Cup.

Back then, only 24 countries made the World Cup, so CONCACAF was allotted only two slots. The U.S. visited Hasely Crawford Stadium in November for what amounted to a play-in game for the 1990 World Cup. In front of 35,000 fans partial to the Soca Warriors, American midfielder/defender Paul Caligiuri scored the game's only goal for a 1-0 U.S. win. Caligiuri appeared in 110 games for the United States and scored five goals. The goal below secured the U.S.' first place in a World Cup since 1950. Since this goal, the United States has not missed a World Cup, appearing in the last six.

Tune in to ESPN 97.5 FM tonight for a new episode of Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis! Listen in on ESPN 97.5 while you watch tonight's Dynamo match vs. W Connection. Glenn will talk everything soccer, including interviews with Dynamo players.

Tonight's episode airs from 7-9 p.m. and can be heard on the radio on 97.5 FM or online at www.espn975.com.